Mechanical musical instrument.



No. 850,621.` PATENTED APR. 16, 1907.

A. T. CHESTER.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8,1905.

Sii-QN lI/ ITNESSES- INVENTOR,

A TTORNE YJ.

chamber V11.

PATENT oEEICE.

'ARTHUR T. CHESTER, CF PELI-lAM, NEW YORK.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 16, 1907.

Application filed June 8, 1606. Serial No. 320.700.

'Beit known that l, 'ARTHUR T. CHESTER, a citizei'i of the United States, anda resident of Pelham, VVestchestercounty, and State of New vYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Musical instruments, of which the following is .a specification.

My invention relates to nlechanicalinusical instruments and mechanicalplayers for musical instruments, such as the -pianola piano, pianola, and the like.v lts object is to render the pneumatic-valves/of such instruments more prompt and certain in their action.

A further object is to simplify-the erection and repair of' suoli ii'istrumentsv by rmaking sone of the parts more accessible and easily detachable from the others.l

Further objects of the invention will appear in the speciiication and 4be pointed out in the claims.

In the'drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the action-casing of a .nie-

chanical musical instrument, the upper portion thereof beingcut away on the plane c a of Fig. 3 and an intermediate portion being cut away on the plane b l) of the same figure. Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections ofthe parts shown in Eig, 1 on the planes c c and d d, respectively.

I Referring to the drawings,l the figures show a part of the action-casing of the instrunent, consisting of a' chest 10, in which is a suction- It is of course understood that several of-these chests, usually three or four in number, are employed, onev being superposed over the other. Connected with the chest 10, and in the kpresent instance at the lower sidethereof, are the striking-pneumatics 12, each of which is connected by a rod 13 to a key-lever (not shown) or to a jack or other means for sounding one of the notes of the musical instrument. The pneumatic 12 is connected b v a passage 14 to the chest 10,

the passage 14 having arearwardly-extending aperture 15, which connects with the atmosphere, and a forwardly-extending passage, (shown as a tube 16,) which opens into the suction-chamber 11. `In the front wall 17 of the chest 1() are providedl recesses 1S, one for each of thel striking-pneuinatics 12. Each recess is closed by a diaphragm v19, the central portion of which fri'is a closure for the valve-seat 16. Passing rearwardly from the .diaphragm 19 is a stein 20, at the rear end of which is a valve 21, adaptedto open and close the 'aperture 15. The stems 20 are guided in a suitable bar 22.

Detachably securedto the chest 10 is a series of valve-boxes 23-one for each of the striking-pneumatics 12. In each of these is an ordinary double valve 24, adapted to open the chamber 25 alternately to atmosphere or to the lower chamber 26. At the bottom of `the lower chamber 26 is a diaphragni 27, connected by a stem '28 to the nected in the present, instance by a tube-nipple 2Q with the recess 18, which is closed by the front side of the diaphragm 19. The lower chamber 26 of the box 23 is connected by a second nipple 30 with the suction-chainber 11 in the chest 10. Beneath the diaphragm 27, which closes the lower side of the. chamber 26, is va chamber 31, connected by. a flexible tube 32 to one of the ducts of the tracker of the instruntent (not shown inthe .moved in the usual manner. The chambers hole7 33. y

The operationof my device 1s as follows:

' shown in the drawings) passesover one of the ducts in the tracker, air will pass through the tube an dinto the chamber 31 lthereb y raising the diaphragm 27 24 then acts to cut off the chamber 25 from atmosphere, with which it is normally connected, and connect it with the chamber 2 6,

by means of the nipple 30,-with t ie suctionthis is to permit the air to exhaust from the recess 18A into the chamber 26. Up to this time the striking-pneumatic 12 has been distended by air entering through the passages 15 and 14 thereinto. This air-pressure now acts on 'the rear side` of the diaphragm 19 within the tube 16 to force the same forward,

the pneumatic 12 from atmosphere and ,to permit the `exhaustion of the striking-pneumatic 12 into the suction-chamber 11. This acts to raise the rod 13 and to sound vone of the notes'of the instrument in the 'usual manner. 'When an imperforate portion vof themusic-sheet passes over the duct, theair in the lower chamber 31 of the box 23 eX- double valve 24, The chamber 25 is con-.

drawings) and over which the .IIIusic-'sheet isv vWhen a perforation in the music-sheet (not.

The double valve thereby closing the valve 21, so as to cut off l 8o 26 and 31 are connected by the usual bleedwhich, it will be remembered, is connected,"

chamber 11 in the chest 10 'The effect of IOC halshs' into the chamber .'26 through la1@- bleed-hole 33,-The double valve '2,4 then drops tothe position shown 'andadmits air to the .aperture '18 through the tube`.29.'

This acts tov close the diaphragm wandte openthe passages and. 14,'and conse fquently the'strikingpneumatic 12, to atmosphere, by Which the pneumatic is ag'ain dis'L tended. llt will hefseen;that'the-yalveson LI O the stem --tl1at-is',fth c valve-Which'is, in effect, a portion ofthe diaphragm 19j-and the air-valveQl are subject to the air-pres v surel on hoth'sides thereof and-thatthedia-l phragm 19 is moved by the alternative effectiv'eexcesses of air-pressure on itsopposite sides, this being due to the greatert effectivej surfaceof the diaphra m on its lfront side.

This valve having .a

orizont ally-disposedaxis,'asfahove described, is not affected-by pairwhen this is necessary.

"I have illustrated hep 24 is located, lis made separate from the others and is independently'connected to the chest 10 4in the present instance -by the nip-r ples 29 and 30. These canhe made tojhave" a snug slidingfit inthe-Wall eitherof the may he independently 'and separately 'dei -ftached from the remainder of the pneumaticaction. This vfacilitates,'not \on ly`. the erec tion of the instrument, but its lsubsequent refi layer or instr-ii- .ment as .operated by suctiombutit'is' of' course obvious 'that-such. aninstrument may he operated "by superatmospheric pressure,n the necessary changes being Withntheskill" of the mechanic.

inventionv refers ihoth to -niechanical players Ifor musical instruments and tosuch lnstrumentstyhen the pneumatic playing action is built'within the casing of thepiano or otherinstrumentitself. When, therefore in the `c laiiris f1 use; the phrase a mechanic-al.-

musical instrument,. Lof course intend to" fS/finclude-fthe player,' whether "it is locatedindependent device or machine'.

:matie-af .-yalves A forv controlling eac 4valve-actuatirre; pneumatics, and separable withinthe casingof Vthe instrumentfof vis an What claim isf 1.l In 4combinatien' Wi-th matic, a suction-chamher-ll and v"passages from thefpneumaticto .theatmosphere and to the suction-chamber, a .valve-stem and two-yalvesthereon forthe respective passages opening-1-outward jtherefrom, onel of sa1d valyesheing inthe form of; a vdiaphragm the said chamber for actuating the said stem, andmeansfor applying. suction 'or atmospherelon .the side' 'o saidA diaphragmvalve remotefi'rorn thesaidpassages.

trolled, poft'sleadig therefrom vto Aatmos- 'phere andcfto the',said` chest, .a f diaphragmf. vvalve-ifi; the said chest for closingand-*openin thegsaidgpoft leadin tdsaid lcliejst, a ya Veste'm, 'and ayal'vetnereont forthe port leading .to atmosphere, andconn'ections for jyarying" the pressure-action on the side of said diaphragm remote from'thc saidports.

f3.' In a' mechanical musical instrument, a 'plurality 'off striking;- pneumatics, a 'chest common' thereto, passa es from the said pneumatica" to the saidicx es tfand' to. atmospher'e, `"valves lfor' the' said passages, Vone of saidi'yalves beingfn'the'form' of a'v'alye? Aac'tuatingl pneumatic controlling f the: :said

passages 'of eachfof the said.v strikin -pneu casings in'. "which the last said valves. `are mounted separately 'for 'each' of. the said kvalyeactal ating pneumatics,- a diaphragm" and 'connections .for actuating the last said -yalyes'f and "rrio'unted in the respective casq 1ngs,'tand two 'pneumatic connectionsd for -each ofthe 'said .caSi'n-gS, one for connect-'lng said the'said valve-actuating pneumatic Witliits "controlling Valves', land the other for supply in actuating-Wind for the said diaphragm.

gin testimony' whereof- I -liave signed this .specification inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses. 

